New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-12
THE LAW ANSWERS ANARCHY
SPIES AND HIS COMRADES HINGED.
PREACHERS OF RIOT NOW LYING IN THEIR
COFFlNS.
PALLGD AND TREMBLING BEFORE DEATH.
THE EFFORT TO POSE AS MARTYRS SUSTAINED
WITH DIFFiCULTY-LAsT WORDS OF THE
CONDEMNED MIN THE HANGING
DONE QUICKLY-sCENEs ABOUT
TEE sCAFFOLD.
fBr TELEGRAPH To THE rRIBUNEl

pVolEt EuStl anu "A H. IdrSOnS were nunEeu Ill
the Jail of Cook County today for participation
in a conspiracy which resulted in the death Of
Policeman Matthias A. Degan and six of his
| comrades, and the manning OF about sixty-f,c
men on the night of May 4, 1886, in what is now
known rs the riot in the HaymarlSct. They died
as they had lived. unrepentant and defiant. with
Anarchy OIL their lips and hatred of oil author
| ty, human and divine in their hearts
"IIurrah for Anarchy" cried Fischer in his
mixed German and English, as the fatal cap was
drawn over his face; "IIurrah fOf Anarchy
repeated the stod Enge exutingly. This is the
happiest day of my lifc," theauically exclaimed
Spies. "Oh, men of America, hear me"--began
Pa 'ons when the trap, falling with crash, cut
short his intended address.
There was nothing heroic about the end OF
these wretched men, and no amount of imagination
could invest it with tragic glamor. 1t was the
logical conclusion, simply of the career of four
great criminals and their taking off by due
process of law. in the most matterof-fact manner,
designed neither to impress the bchOldcr nor to
exhibit the power of the law in It's awful majesty
1t was about 1 o'clock when word was passed
around the Jail that everything ready for
tho execution For over two hour, the iailcrs
office in front had been filled with deputies,
'il'I"iN anu newspaper u'u WIN "N'c ""l'H-
to be admitted to the inner Jail. Through the
great iron gate occasional gmpses could DC
obtained of the cells to which the four Anarchists
had tccn moved early in the morning. All Of them
were on the lower tier. Their doors were thrown
The doomed men themselves were busy, either
writing or lost in contemplation. The Rev DR..
Bolton had called at the cell of each to inquire
IL no coull In nnVthuO but accented his
services The County Physician offered wine 10
the men, but only Fischer availed himself of
he offer lie took three glasses cf port wine and
seemed to feel the better for taking them. The
sheriff and the jailcr too. went around to see
if they could add TO the comfort of the prisoners,
if comfort there for them under such CIR
cumstances; bu. they expressed no wishes
shortly after / o'clock the iron gate of TIC
inner nil swung open. and those who were 70
witness the hanging filed slowly in They made
their way through the sOmbre corridors of the
Jail 10 the northeastern corner, where the scalod
had been erected in the night. The structure has
hccn depicted and described a hundred times n
pictures and in primitive uprights, "A cross peam
and four ropes with nooscs dangling om'nously IL
the air The scafiold stood at the end Of corrdl
formed 10y the outer wall of the Jail and the
inner OF cells. which rise tier upon tier on
the opposite side Long benches and tables were
fuccd in front of the scaiiod 10 ACCOMMODATE
the ncwsl arcr men, the coroners jury which was
10 view the remains" aud the others who were
to witness the hanging. Silently the spectators took
their seats. Conversation WIS carried on only n
whispers Deputies hurried 10 and fro arranging
the last details Some persons in the assemblagc
had evidently seen such before.
This is the twcnty-ifth hanging | have been
a, remarks one with something like pride
This IS only my second remarks anothes'
"but saw three men hanged nj my first
"1hc roIes seem 10 me very thin,' remarks
third with critical uncOnccrn.
But then they are not heavy men, says
another.
THE sheriff experimental last night with sand
bags weighing 1sO pounds each, ana fonhi tha'
everything was working we'll.
From the ropes the conversation passed to the
little wooden box in the rear of the Scaitold
platform. 1t is the box which conceals the man
who /, 70 cut the rope releasing the trap
He is the cXecutoncr.
"Who is he ?n asked n very young man
Nobody knows explained a deputy sherlr
with n smile.
"1bero are at least three men in that box
now. They enter it through a hole in the wall.
They are seen by nobedy.'
At that moment an awful wailing SOUND "oNe
the echoes of the building. The spectators, ther
nerves already at Il high tension, looked at each
other in a bewldcrcd and alarmed manner
What could il mean? For IA moment the "aillhS
stonned 10 be- renewed again after u while WIN
increased energy. Everybody was now thoroughly
alarmed Even the deputy sherils were uneasy
Rut the cause Of all now seen appearing
around the corner of the cell at the side OF tic
scatrolJ II was Parsonss black cat the ahiihdi
that he declared only few days ago "oulu orids
him bad luck For moment it stopped IN Itoh'
of the gallows and sat down to eNalh'he the
structure. then it rubbed its back against one
of the posts and departed as mysterlouSly rs IL
came. The incident thoroughly upset the nerves
of the more superstitious SPECTATORS.
The time slowly passed away Everybody won
dercd what the cause Of the delay was lhrou@b
the high windows Of the Jail wall hair do|'h
policemen. with muslSets I'm their hands, were
seen on the roof of an adjoining part OF the
building, They cast curious glances INTO the
corridors below them TO know how things were
getting on In the chill, damp atmosphere OF the |
prison, and with the excitement that everybody |
laborcd under. the seconds seemed like minutes,
the minutes like hours.
THE MURDERERs TAKEN TO THE GALLo"s'
A. last there was heard the tread OF people on |
tbe floor beyond from which the doomed men must
como Every head turned in that direction. Inc |
;iIo,s 6gure was the first seen to approach with
,bo sheriff. Between them walked Spies, clad from |
head to foot in white shroud gathered loosely at
tho neck with a string He looked as pale almost |
aa the stroud that covered him. For moment he
stood irrssolnte. His eyes wandered helplcssIy
along the corridor as if to evade the sig OF the
.cal,ows I'm front. As he was placed on
tho trap ON the furthest end his face came In con
tact with the rope. He shuddered cohvuisivey
but by O supreme effort regalned control over MN
self and stared into vacancy. Inc Hext 10 appear
oo'. raohor Ue too. was enveloped in a shroud.
Mas taIi Hgure lowered above that of the deputy
sheriff accompanying h,m his not unlnteiiiGemt Gm
~ IT, "iTnconcernedly he took his place over the
second .a trap. Engel, who followed took the third